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The Moreland Commission finds corruption in Albany: What they're saying

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, speaks during a news conference as New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, left, and Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick listen in July.
(The Associated Press)

"The results led to a conclusion that reform cannot wait," the commission stated in a press release. "New York needs comprehensive reform to restore the public trust and change the permissive culture of both illegal and legal corruption in state government."

The commission, co-chaired by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, along with two other individuals, was founded six months ago by Cuomo to look into public corruption in Albany.

Some of the findings -- without naming names -- include campaign donations being made in exchange for legislative action, loopholes in campaign finance laws and conflicts of interest between legislators' official responsibilities and outside duties.

Notably, the commission said that the state Board of Elections has not done its job to enforce election law, thus encouraging corruption in Albany.

Many have noted the similarities between the commission's recommendations and what Cuomo proposed in the public corruption scandals that took place in the spring, as reported by Casey Seller, Capitol bureau chief for The Times Union, and Capitol New York's Jimmy Vielkind.

What they're saying

• From James M. Odato, a columnist for the Albany Times-Union:

The personal finance data that's been publicly disclosed by the members of the Moreland Commission is nearly as skimpy as that of the lawmakers from whom they're trying to force greater income disclosure. As the commission uses subpoenas in its attempt to gather information from the employers of Assembly and Senate members, only a few of the Moreland panelists willingly offer glimpses of their assets and liabilities.

• From Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, in an interview with WRVO before the report was released:

If the governor can appoint a commission at anytime he wants, so he can get information and try to pressure the other branch of government to do something, I don't think that's what the Founding Fathers were really looking for in a democracy. So it'll be decided in the courts whether this goes too far or not, and I think it's an important constitutional issue to raise.

• From Lawrence Norden, deputy director of the Democracy Program at NYU's Brennan Center:

The verdict of the Moreland Commission is clear: comprehensive campaign finance reform, including small donor public financing, is critical if we are going to clean up Albany. Special interest money has corrupted our state government for far too long. It's now up to leaders in Albany to heed the call and pass public campaign financing.

• From Bill Hammond, New York Daily News columnist, on the policy recommendations coming before the investigations are completed:

Cuomo's cart-before-the-horse schedule is one of many head-scratching decisions that have compromised the commission's credibility and effectiveness. The first was how it was born -- in a fit of political pique.

Throughout his term as governor, Cuomo has repeatedly threatened to sic an investigative commission on the Legislature when its members balked at voting the way he liked. He finally pulled the trigger this July, after lawmakers refused to pass his take-or-leave-it reform package. As a result, the project smacked of retribution.

Cuomo's next mistake was to stuff the commission -- jointly appointed by him and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman -- with elected officials, including DAs. They were meant to bring bipartisan credibility and prosecutorial experience. But they also swim in the same fund-raising swamp -- and exploit the same loopholes -- as the lawmakers they are investigating, leading to inevitable charges of hypocrisy.

Cuomo further erred by failing to give the panel the independence he promised. He has supplied its staff, controlled its purse-strings and even weighed in on which entities should be subpoenaed.